Suicides by middle-aged Michigan residents on the rise

In the last decade, the suicide rate among middle-aged Americans has climbed by 28 percent — with the rate increasing even more in Michigan at 42 percent.

The results were recently released by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In America, the suicide rate among middle-aged white men and women has climbed by 40 percent. And suicide has gone from the eighth leading cause of death among middle-aged Americans to the fourth.

In Michigan, not only has the rate of suicides increased, but the unemployment rate from 2003 to 2013 has risen from 7.3 percent to a current 8.5 percent.

Beth Combs, director of clinical services for Health Management Systems of America, says the recession may have pushed already troubled people over the edge.

“Sometimes work is their identity, and I think you see that particularly with males in the 35 to 55-age category,” she said. “When you take away jobs and don’t replace them, people feel very hopeless.”

In the last five months, 20 local residents between the ages of 40 and 60 have lost their lives to suicide, according to the Oakland County Medical Examiner’s Office. Recently, a 50-year-old Commerce Township man died after shooting himself in his car in the parking lot of Huron Valley Hospital located on Williamscarl near Commerce Road, reports the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office.

But, in Oakland County in the last five years, suicides among middle-age residents has slightly decreased. During the same five-month period in 2008, approximately 30 Oakland Country residents took their lives.

Oakland County Medical Examiner Ljubisa Dragovic said, “I have to emphasize that, in comparison to other jurisdictions, Oakland County certainly has more suicides. … (Residents) have high drives of responsibility for everything. Successes and failures can drive people to the brink — including jobs lost and not being able to meet financial demands for a family. Things like that can be a factor.”

Some of the causes for the suicides of people in this age group in an Oakland County Medical Examiner’s report were losing a job, financial trouble, being on welfare, late paying rent, recent or pending divorce, break-up, history of drug and alcohol abuse, history of depression and trouble with the law.

In Oakland County, suicide is the cause of death for approximately 140 to 180 people each year in the last five years. And the average age of people who died from suicide between 2008 and 2011 was 46 years old, according to the Medical Examiner’s Office.

Although suicides among middle-age people account for about 57 percent of suicides in the United States, most suicide prevention efforts are targeted toward teens and senior citizens.

West Bloomfield resident Becky Cox said she wishes suicide prevention was targeted to all age groups and demographics.

“I think no matter what age you are, it’s extremely tragic. It impacts so many people, and it’s not just the individual,” said Becky, a board member of the nonprofit Common Ground.

Becky has dealt, firsthand, with the effects suicide has on a family after her former husband Jim Cox lost his life to suicide at age 45. He died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head, and Becky said his father and brother found him.

“The note that he wrote, the date had been crossed out a couple times. It’s not like this was a rash decision. He had contemplated committing suicide,” said Becky.

“In his note, he said he felt like he was a burden on people, that everybody was always worried about him. He just felt like he was always falling short. He felt like it was his gift to everybody to do this, when, in fact, it couldn’t have been further from the truth.”

Jim was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, and Becky said he had stopped taking his medications.

“His family was in the process of finding a doctor for him, but it just wasn’t soon enough,” said Becky. “He had slumped into a real low. He didn’t feel like there was hope and was feeling very alone with his illness. … His perspective on reality was just so skewed.”

Becky said the most difficult thing was going home and telling their daughters, who were 14, 12 and 8 years old at the time of Jim’s death.

“I knew this would be a life changing and devastating event. But I totally underestimated the impact it would have on my daughters and the depths of it to this day,” she said. “All three of them have a sense of abandonment.”

Financial pressure and the stigma against mental illness are some of the reasons Becky thinks there has been an increase in suicide among the middle-age population.

Becky said she would tell someone contemplating suicide, “You are not alone,” and would suggest seeking professional help.

“I can remember how my parents referred to psychiatrists. I think we’ve come a long way, but we still have a long way to go. …In my parent’s generation, they would say, ‘Buck up,’‘Grab hold of yourself,’ or ‘You can get through this.’ I don’t think there was the knowledge that depression is an illness,” said Becky.

“I think (middle-age) people still have a stigma against mental illness and don’t necessarily seek treatment. Hopefully, our younger generation that isn’t brought up with the stigma will be more willing to seek the help they need. If we could break the stigma, that would be awesome.”

Beth Combs, director of clinical services for Health Management Systems of America, said people who take their lives don’t necessarily want to die but “want the feeling to die.”

Many primary care physicians will prescribe anti-depressants but are uncomfortable making referrals for mental health issues, Combs said. With mental health issues, she would recommend someone to see a specialist, like a psychiatrist or counselor.

“(Doctors) would send someone out if they needed a podiatrist or dermatologist. But when it comes to psychiatry, I think sometimes we don’t know how to talk to people about it,” she said.

Combs said she would encourage anyone who is contemplating suicide to ask for a referral.

“We tend to be very hard on ourselves and talk badly to ourselves internally. I would want to help them turn around how they’re talking to themselves. Just because you’re struggling now doesn’t mean it will stay that way forever,” she said.

FYIThe local nonprofit Common Ground helps individuals and families in crisis. Beginning June 20, the nonprofit is hosting Mental Health First Aid Training. Attendees will learn how to recognize symptoms of mental illness and how to help. Common Ground’s goal is to train 10,000 Oakland County residents. The classes will take place at 1410 S. Telegraph Road in Bloomfield Hills. To register, call 248-451-3733 or email jroberts@commongroundhelps.org. For those who are or know someone who is contemplating suicide, call the 24-hour Common Ground crisis line at 800-231-1127 or 248-456-0909.

The Oakland County Youth Suicide Prevention Task Force is heightening awareness about Oakland County’s youth suicide prevention efforts during National Mental Health Awareness Month this May, including making the Youth Suicide Prevention Toolkit available to schools.

“Suicide can be prevented by watching out for the risk factors and taking action,” said Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson. “By raising public awareness, these six outstanding Oakland County agencies which comprise the task force are encouraging our kids to seek help as soon as warning signs emerge.”

Oakland County Department of Health and Human Services, Oakland County Community Mental Health Authority, Common Ground, Easter Seals, Oakland Schools and Training and Treatment Innovations have joined forces to implement a prevention plan that addresses youth suicide, mental illness and substance abuse in the region. Over the past year, Oakland County school districts and local private schools were trained and are implementing strategies outlined in the collaborative’s Youth Suicide Prevention Toolkit for Schools. Suicide prevention toolkits for parents, students and health care providers are currently under development.

“Our goal is to encourage our youth to ask for help by decreasing the stigma surrounding mental health or substance abuse issues,” said Brent Wirth, president and CEO of Easter Seals. “Substance abuse and mental illness can lead to thoughts of suicide. If you need help, talk to an adult you trust or call Common Ground’s 24-hour crisis line.”

More people die by suicide each year in the United States than by homicide. One person dies by suicide about every 15 minutes. It is the third leading cause of death among adolescents ages 15 to 24. While males are more likely to die by suicide, females are more likely to attempt suicide.

Knowing the risk factors may help prevent suicide. They include a personal or family history of mental illness or substance abuse; personal or family history of suicide; feelings of isolation; recent loss; and family violence.